Brothers
by Darci the Thespian
Summary: AU, in where Combeferre and Jehan are twins who were separated at birth.


The night wind blows in cold and the woman shivers. She is lying on her bed, sweating. Her husband, Adrien, has gone to fetch the doctor, since the woman is in labor. Their house is falling apart, and the window is broken.

The doctor runs in, and immediately helps the woman. Adrien watches in relief as his wife is tended to. The labor goes smoothly after that. Adrien smiles as two twin boys are born.

"She needs care, the labor was hard on her," the doctor says. Adrien pays him and the doctor leaves. He holds his wife's hand and sighs.

"Don't worry," he looks at his sons, lying in the cradle. Both have blue eyes and tiny puffs of blonde hair.

Later, misfortune strikes them. The woman dies from disease and Adrian is starving to death. He can only make enough money to buy food for his sons. Eventually, he knows he will have to give his sons up for adoption.

A brisk knock on the door alerts him to his senses a few days later. He opens the door to reveal a couple standing there.

"We heard that you are putting your sons up for adoption," the lady says, smiling.

"I have to, to make sure they survive," Adrien says, sadly

The lady nods sympathetically, "I can adopt one of your sons."

Adrien frowns, "they're twins; they should be together."

"I am so sorry, but I can only afford one child," she insists.

Adrien walks over and picks up one of his sons. He kisses him goodbye and tells him to live a safe and happy life.

The lady smiles and takes the son, "Wait, one thing, does he have a name?"

"No, Mademoiselle," Adrien says, "I figured I should let his new family name him."

The lady looks down at the baby in her hands, "I will name him Combeferre. Au revoir, Monsieur."

"Thank you, Mademoiselle," Adrien says, sitting down on the makeshift bed.

A week later, another lady is at the door. She introduces herself as Madame Prouvaire.

"I would like a son, I need more joys in my life," Madame Prouvaire says.

Adrien takes his other son and hands it to her, "a child will bring you great joy, Madame."

"Does he have a name?" Madame Prouvaire questions further.

Adrien shakes his head, "no, he does not. You can name him."

"I'll name him Jean, after my father," Madame Prouvaire says. She smiles at Adrien and left.

Adrien dies soon after that.

1832

Jehan's POV

"Are you really participating in the uprising?" My mother asks, frowning.

I nod, "I have to mother; it's my duty to my country and to my friends."

Mother sighs from where she is sitting at my desk.

"It's for the good of the people," I say, sitting on my bed. "We're going to be helping them. When they see us, they'll rise up with us."

"I hope you're right," Mother says. She looks up at me and manages a small, sad smile. "You were a miracle to us, you know that, right?"

I nod. My parents and relatives have all told me that I am the miracle of their life. They never go into specifics though.

"I remember going to the doctor," Mother says. I listen closely, anxious to hear the story. "The doctor had informed me that I could never have kids."

I frown, "but, you had me, right?"

Mother reaches out and takes me hand, "No, I didn't. We adopted you from a poor, starving man. He wanted his son to live a happy life."

"What was his name?" I ask, "My father?"

"Adrien," Mother says. "I can imagine that he will be proud of you."

I nod, and my mother says she has to go. I hug her goodbye and thank her for telling me.

Combeferre's POV

I wipe away some sweat from my forehead as I work. Enjolras and I are in the back room, doing some last look-overs for the uprising. With the news of Lamarque's death, the uprising is here and we have to be ready.

"Letter for Monsieur Combeferre!" Gavroche runs into the room.

I smile and take the letter, "thank you Gavroche." I give the little boy a couple of sous, and he takes off. Enjolras glances up, but doesn't say anything. I open up the letter and frown.

"It's from Mother," I say. No doubt she heard about Lamarque's death, and knows that something is going to happen now.

_Dearest Combeferre,_

_I want to talk to you in person, but it'll take me too long to get to Paris, and I fear you don't have much time until the start of your rebellion. I just want to say that I am very proud of you. You are a wonderful son, and I was blessed to have you. But, I feel you are old enough and mature enough to be told the whole story._

_We aren't your real parents. We had adopted you when you were just a baby. Even though you aren't biologically ours, you are still in our hearts, and we look to you as a real son. No doubt you had your suspicions, being a medical student. We still love you and care about you, and are immensely proud of what you're doing._

_Your biological father's name is Adrien. He wasn't able to take care of you, or his other child. I believe he said that you had a twin brother. I hope that this boy was adopted into a nice family and lives to this day. We could only afford you, so we couldn't adopt your brother._

_I hope you don't think badly of us, we were just trying to raise you into a normal family. But you aren't normal, you are extraordinary. Take care with your rebellion, we're praying for you._

_Love, Mother_

"Are you okay?" Enjolras looks in concern at my face. I turn white upon the realization that I am adopted and have a twin brother.

"Yes," I say, nodding. I wish I was told earlier, so that I could have found my brother. But now, we start the uprising in a couple of days.

June 5th, 1832

Jehan's POV

We walk through the streets, shouting. The insurrection is here. We follow Enjolras, our leader, as we walk along the streets to the Corinthe. There, we start to build the barricade.

"Here Jehan," Combeferre helps me drag a piece of wood over to the barricade.

"Something on your mind?" I ask, going to get a chair. Combeferre seems a bit out of it today.

"Sort of," Combeferre admits. "I was just thinking about my family."

"What about them?" I ask as we throw more furniture on the barricade. I know the barricade is no place for small talk, but Combeferre needs a friend right now, not a fellow revolutionary.

"I have just learned that I was adopted," Combeferre said.

"Same," I say, smiling.

Combeferre froze for a second, before resuming building up the barricade. We pause for a moment, as it is very high now.

"Really?" Combeferre says. He takes a deep breath, "I was informed that my biological father's name was Adrien."

I pause and my face breaks out into a huge grin, "that's my father's name too!"

Combeferre pushes his hair out of his eyes, "that is interesting. Especially since I apparently have a twin brother."

I am still grinning, "You realize what this means, right?""

Combeferre's POV

"We're…brothers?" I look in awe at Jehan. I cannot believe it. One of my dearest friends turns out to be my twin brother.

Jehan smiles at me, "I've always wanted a brother!"

I nod and quickly embrace him. "We can talk later."

Jehan nods and we both grab our rifles as the guardsmen start to march towards us. Enjolras positions himself at the front, and I stand beside him. I have to push thoughts of Jean Prouvaire and brotherhood away to focus on the battle. But, I can now see the resemblance. We have the same blonde hair, the same smile, the same laugh. I allow myself one grin, and now I have to focus.

The National Guard attacks and things are chaotic. I dodge a bullet and shoot at one of the guardsmen. I see Bahorel fall from the corner of my eye, and have no time at the present to mourn.

Suddenly, Marius appears. It is havoc, there are guards everywhere. I am up at the front with Enjolras, Courfeyrac, and Jehan.

"Wait! Don't fire at random!" Enjolras calls out. We cannot afford to waste any bullets or gunpowder. We are shouting at the guards. An officer calls out, "Lay down your arms!"

"Fire!" Enjolras responds. The guards are pushing us back until we hear a shout. "Be off with you, or I'll blow up the barricade!" Marius is standing there, with a barrel of gunpowder and a torch.

"Blow up the barricade, and yourself with it!" an officer calls out.

"And myself with it," Marius says, calmly.

The guards retreat, gone for now. We all gather around Marius. Courfeyrac tackles him in a hug, "Here you are!"

"What luck," I say, looking around for Jehan. I have not seen him since Marius appeared on the barricades.

"You came in opportunity!" Bossuet grinned.

"If it had not been for you, I should have been dead," Courfeyrac says, loosening his hold a little bit.

"If it had not been for you, I should have been gobbled up!" Gavroche says, excitedly.

Marius turns to Enjolras, "Where is the chief?"

"You are he!" Enjolras says, nodding.

We all disperse, and there is still no sign of my brother. _Please let him be safe,_ I prayed. I cannot lose him now, now that I finally found him. Still, role was called and Jehan is nowhere to be found. I am relieved that he is not dead, but now I realize where he must be. He is a prisoner.

I hurry over to Enjolras, "They have our friend; we have their agent. Are you set on the death of that spy?"

"Yes, but less so than on the life of Jean Prouvaire," Enjolras responds. I breathe in relief, knowing that Jehan will soon be with me again. If we are to die on the barricades, I want us to die together.

"Well," I say, "I am going to fasten my handkerchief to my cane, and go as a flag of truce, to offer to exchange our man for theirs."

"Listen," Enjolras lays his hand on my arm.

I can hear Jean Prouvaire's voice from the other side of the barricade. "No," I mutter, scrambling up the barricade. Enjolras and Courfeyrac are trying to restrain me, but nothing can keep me from seeing my brother one last time.

"Vive la France! Long live France! Long live the future!" Jehan yells. I lock eyes with him, and he smiles at me, before the guns of the guards go off. I watch in horror as he falls to the ground, dead.

"No!" I scream, almost leaping from the barricade to get his body. Courfeyrac and Enjolras are using all of their strength to hold me back. I felt more hands grab onto me and pull me away from the barricade. "They have killed him," I say. I start to shake, and for the first time, I cry in front of my friends. Courfeyrac is still holding on to me, and his arms wrap around me.

"Your friends have just shot you," Enjolras says to Javert. I am still crying onto Courfeyrac's shoulder, I realize with horror. I straighten up, wipe away the last tears from my eyes, and slowly walk away. Courfeyrac lightly touches my shoulder, before going to chat with Marius. I close my eyes and pray to Jehan.

_Jean Prouvaire, _

_My brother. My strong and valiant brother. You were intrepid and heroic. I wish I could have spent more time with you, knowing of our true relation. If we had known when we met, things would have been different. But perhaps they wouldn't have been. Perhaps fate has always doomed you to die a hostage. I wish I could have rescued you, yet you died a hero. I only wish now for more time. Yet, if I die here on this barricade, we will have plenty of time in Heaven to talk. _

_Combeferre_

We were given some time to rebuild the barricade and collect our thoughts. Courfeyrac comes over to me, offering as much comfort as he can give me.

"He was a great friend," Courfeyrac says. "He died a revolutionary death."

"He was more than a friend," I say, "He was my brother."

"Brother?!" Courfeyrac exclaims. I nod and Courfeyrac hugs me again.

A little while later, Enjolras walks over to me to make sure that I'm okay. I can tell that Courfeyrac had told him about Jean Prouvaire's relation to me.

"I am fine, we have been prepared to lose each other," I say.

"But never our blood family," Enjolras says.

I nod, "Yet, we are still family, although not blood related. I just wish I knew sooner."

"When did you discover that you two were brothers?" Enjolras asks.

I appreciate him talking to me, when there are many other things to be done, "Right before the attack." Enjolras puts a hand on my shoulder and his gaze softens.

"We fight for Jean Prouvaire, we fight for Bahorel, we fight for the fallen," he says.

Throughout the events of the night, I still think of my brother. Dawn is here and we prepare ourselves as the National Guardsmen marches towards us. We fight and fight, but the troops seem endless. Bossuet falls, and Feuilly does too. The National Guardsmen come to the top of the barricade. Courfeyrac is shot at, and tumbles down from the barricade. I see a wounded revolutionary about to fall down on the other side of the barricade. I lift up the body to retreat when I see the bayonet coming towards me. Three times it enters my chest. I glanced upward, to Heaven. I am sure that Jehan is looking down, watching all of us. I fall back, dead, still staring at the sky.

_I look around and see Jehan standing there, smiling. I hug him tightly, as images of his dead body flash through my mind. We break apart, but have no time to talk. Bahorel, Bossuet, Feuilly, and Courfeyrac are there already. _

"_Gavroche is around here somewhere," Courfeyrac says. "He went to go look for his sister."_

_I nod, and we watch the barricade. We see Joly fall, and Bossuet walks forward. He reaches out a hand, and Joly appears with us. He says nothing, but only hugs Bossuet._

Marius is wounded badly, and the old man that came last night carries him away. We watch Enjolras go inside the wine shop, and the soldiers follow him. Enjolras stands up straight, ready for execution. Above, Grantaire awakens.

Grantaire walks over to where Enjolras stands. He holds out his hand, and Enjolras takes it. The soldiers fire: Grantaire falls down, while Enjolras leans against the wall.

_Enjolras and Grantaire walk over to us. They are still holding hands, and they look over at the destroyed barricade._

"_Soon, the people will rise," Enjolras says_

"_We have time now," Jehan catches my eye and smiles, "Time to catch up." Gavroche appears with a girl, who looks a little like him. She introduces herself as Éponine, and asks about Marius._

"_He made it out alive," Courfeyrac says. _

_Éponine bit her lip, but she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. After a couple of minutes of reflecting her thoughts, she opened her eyes, "Good," she said quietly._

_I excuse myself, and walk with Jehan. Where we are going, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that we're together again._


End file.
